London Mayor: Cities Emit 70 Percent of Carbon, Must Lead COP31 Fight
“Just like we were responsible for it, I think we can solve it,” Khan said, pressing urban centers to accept their share of the burden.
Khan will attend the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya next month. He argued that cities must take the lead in cutting emissions.
“It’s been the cities that are responsible for the climate change, for the catastrophe we’re facing. Cities across the globe emit 70% of carbon emissions, and I think we’ve got a responsibility to respond to that,” he said.
Khan co-chairs the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of 97 of the world’s largest cities with a combined population above 900 million.
“We have more than 900 million people in our cities, and we are leading the way in tackling climate emergencies. Many of us, two-thirds of us, have already peaked carbon emissions. We’re reducing them all the time,” he said.
He added that cities are also cleaning up the air and generating green jobs in solar, wind and electric vehicles.
Mayors and regional leaders step forward
Khan said COP31 will mark a turning point, with local and regional authorities taking a bigger part in global climate negotiations.
“Unlike previous COPs, where it was just national prime ministers, national presidents, this year for the first time there will be mayors and regional leaders playing a big role. Why? Because we’ve got some of the solutions,” he said.
He said he will be the first London mayor to make an official visit to Türkiye. He called Antalya’s role as host a point of pride for Turkish communities, with world leaders, city officials, businesses and young people set to gather there to confront climate challenges.
After the summit, Khan plans to travel to Istanbul to discuss investment ties and pitch London as a hub for international trade and investment.
“We’ve got hundreds of thousands of Londoners of Turkish origin, but we face the same challenges: climate change, extreme heat, droughts, earthquakes, and that’s why it’s important we come together to find solutions to these challenges,” he said.
Republic Day message
Khan also sent congratulations to Türkiye and to Turkish communities in London on Republic Day.
“Republic Day is incredibly important, not just for those with links with Türkiye, but others as well,” he said.
He praised Türkiye’s history and its progress over the past 103 years, and said hosting COP31 gives the country another reason for national pride.
“We know the rich history Türkiye has, going back thousands of years. In the last 103 years, you’ve seen Türkiye build on its fantastic past,” Khan said.
“The fact that COP31 is taking place in Antalya, in Türkiye, should be a source of pride to Turkish people, those with links to Türkiye, and I wish everyone celebrating a very happy Republic Day,” he added.
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